Majesty of Law & Violations are a Rule in City

by LK Anand

I am really glad that you invited Shri VS Kokje with so many important appointments and assignments behind his name, to be the guest editor. His observations about the city of Indore were most precise and exactly as any law abiding citizen of the country or at least city of Indore can think of. I think it is the Majesty of law which has been a big loser in this country.

Incidentally, before our last Lok Sabha elections I had the opportunity to have a word with our honourable MP Smt Sumitra Mahajan to ensure rule of law if nothing else- if of course BJP came to power in the centre. So the rule of law remained a casualty since UPA-2 was to rule the centre. Inspite, of all his good planning and partial delivery in other fields, Shivraj Singh Chauhan the CM and his Home Minister have not done anything worth the name towards the “The Rule of Law” aspect.

The main reason being that, most pitiably almost all the law enforcing agencies and departments have become useless ineffective and worthless and do not seem to be interested in performing their basic duties in a manner the government expects them to do. Like the increasing number of criminals in the society who now care two hoots for the law of the land and have no one to fear from due to the impotence and total indifference of the enforcing agencies, the enforcing agencies also care two hoots and do not fear their higher ups including the bureaucratic set up or the judiciary, as none of them would ever take any action against them except of course some eye wash.

It is a publically known fact that everyone down the line seems to be involved only in feathering their own nests. They do attend offices regularly but certainly not for the duties they are required to perform but only for ensuring their own comfort welfare and remunerations and to ensure their well being for next three to four generations. Surprisingly, they hardly ever or very rarely go on the ground to see the things happening on ground. No wonder a large number of them especially amongst the Police Force are pot bellied and never seem poised to be able to do their jobs the way they should. The traffic police is especially slouchy and appear incapable of handling traffic violations.

If they were competent and knew their jobs well enough, why the state of affairs anywhere and everywhere would deteriorate to such an extent that the city would be in shambles and going from bad to worse from day to day. There seems to be a trend of shamelessness amongst the concerned administrative staff, who not only lack the ability and competence but also take no pride in doing the work assigned to them by virtue of their designated appointments to the best of their abilities. The indifference of the government and the ministerial staff, as also the bureaucratic set up in higher echelons are no exceptions. They instead of ensuring that the staff works efficiently at all levels, have become road blocks and spokes in the wheels of proper and efficient functioning of the government machinery, by their own incompetence and self serving attitude in every field.

It is good to analyse what and why of the problems and to suggest the solutions, as also to get the views of the experts to solve the problems. But who amongst the hierarchy of the city of Indore would have the will power and courage to take an initiative to start the improvement work. There is no shortage of funds in Indore but will they ever be made available for the betterment of all the items listed in “Guest Editors Special”. The Government could certainly come to the rescue, if it does no lack the will power and intentions to do it.

I would also like to ask a question from Shri VS Kokje, that he during his service held a large number of very important posts in the Government and he was aware of the problems which he has highlighted now. Why no remedial action could be taken when he was in service and why the state of affairs in the city were allowed to deteriorate to such low levels? Is it justifiable to make these suggestions now when he has quit all responsible posts in the Government? I would not be surprised to see if the present set of Government officials also remain inactive and blind to realities for the sake of cheap popularity and let conditions deteriorate further as has been happening ever since our independence.

LK Anand
elkayanand@rediffmail.com

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Published in Free Press Indore Edition on Monday, October 4, 2010